Intermittent film feeding mechanism



Jam 17, 1939. J. WALL INTERIITTENT FILM FEEDING HECHAITHSM Filed July 11, 1935 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan; 17, 1939. J. M. WALL INTERHITTENT FILM FEEDING MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed July 11 1955 I l l 'TT un Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in motion picture machines in which a shutter is operated in synchronism with an intermittent feed mechanism for the film.

The main object of my .invention is to provide a motion picture machine wherein the time periods of the exposure of the film are considerably greater than the time periods of the unexposure of said film, thereby producing a motion picture machine which, when used as a camera, is adapted to be successfully operated under more or less subdued light.

Furthermore, with my improved mechanism, pictures may be projected on a screen with less sensible flickering of the picture than has heretofore been possible with the conventionally constructed motion picture projectors.

Another important object of the invention is to construct a mechanism to produce the above mentioned result which is reliable, simple and compact, and that will be especially even and smooth in operation at very high speeds, such as is necessary in the operation of a motion picture camera in taking ultra speed pictures.

A more specific object is to construct an intermittent feed mechanism for motion picture machines, the parts of which may be quickly and easily assembled to form a complete unit which is adapted to be readily and securely mounted in the operative position within the case ofthe machine, or easily removed from said case for the purpose of cleaning, oiling, and so forth.

Other objects and advantages relating to the details of the structure and to the form, relation and operation of the parts thereof will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of an intermittent feed mechanism, partly in section, employing various features of this invention, said mechanism being shown in operative position within the case of a motion picture machine and which case is shown in part with the door removed.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the feed transmission mechanism and the adjacent associated parts taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-.3, Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the intermittent feed mechanism taken on line H, Figure 2. I

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-i, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line 8-6, Figure 2, showing the drive connection between the drive shaft and the cam shaft and the relation of the axes of rotation of said shafts.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the plane in which Figure 6 is taken with certain portions thereof broken away and in section.

Flgure8 is a detail vertical section taken on 10 line H, Figure 5, illustrating the movement of 7 one of the cams and the film holding means actuated thereby.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 99, Figure 5, and illustrates the movement ll of the film moving arm and the cams for actuating said arm.

The device as illustrated in the drawings may be arranged in any suitably constructed case as c which, as shown in part in Figures 1 and an an adapted more particularly for a camera and comprises a body portion I having the front side thereof open and a cover 2 for closing said open side of the case. The case 0 is adapted to support my novel intermittent feed mechanism 3 and 86 the drive mechanism therefor, together with a suitable lens arrangement, not shown, and which may be of any well known construction.

The intermittent feed mechanism 3 comprises a supporting frame piece 5 which, as shown more 10 particularly in Figure 5, is L-shaped in horizontal 'cross section and has the upper and lower edges of one leg as 5' thereof parallel and provided with longitudinally extending grooves I adapted to engage respective ribbed plates 1 seas cured in parallel spaced relation to the inner surface of the front end wall 8 of the case C for' removably supporting said frame in the case. The leg I of the frame 5 extends transverse! in parallelism with the front end wall I of the so case C by means of a vertically disposed latch ll 80 which has its upper end pivotally secured by a shouldered screw I l to the rear wall 0 of the case body I. The lower end of the latchll terminates 1 in proximity to the upper edge of the leg I" of the frame 5 and has the surface thereof adjacent ll said well provided with a pendant flange Ill adapted to over-hang the adjacent portion of the frame and thereby prevent the withdrawal of said frame from the ribbed plates I and, therefore, from the interior of the case C. It will thus be seen that when it is desired to remove the intermittent feed mechanism from the case, it is only necessary to swing the lower end of the latch l0 out of engagement with the frame 5 whereupon the frame is free to be moved-outwardly from the case.

As illustrated more clearly in Figure 4, the forwardly positioned leg 5 of the frame 5 is provided with an exposure aperture l2 arranged in substantially the central portion thereof and which is adapted to align with a similar aperture l3 provided in an aperture plate l4 mounted in a suitable recess provided in the rear face of the forward leg 5' of the frame 5. This aperture plate I4 is a substantially rectangular relatively thin, fiat member and is secured to the frame leg 5 by screws or other means. The rear surface of the aperture plate, in this instance, is disposed in a vertical plane except for the lower end portion thereof which is curved somewhat rearwardly or inwardly as shown in Figure 4.

A film guide plate 06 is disposed in substantially a vertical position and in slightly spaced relation to the rear surface of the aperture plate l4 and has the lower end thereof curved rearwardly to correspond to the curvature of the aperture plate l4 for guiding the film F as it is moved vertically downwardly in the space thus formed between the aperture plate and the guide plate.

A plurality of, in this instance, three horizontally disposed pressure rollers I8 are positioned in a substantially rectangular slot or opening is provided in the guide plate IS in alignment with the exposure aperture IS. The rollers l8 are each rotatably mounted upon a respective rod or shaft 20 supported at their outer ends in vertical spaced relation, one above the other, by a vertically disposed pressure frame 2| which is carried by the guide plate It. The pressure frame 2| is constructed with a rear plate 22 and has a portion of each vertical side thereof extended forwardly into the opening 19 for supportably receiving the shafts 20 in such a manner as to position the rollers 18 in close relation to the rear vertical face of the aperture plate 14. The pressure rollers l8 may be yieldingly held in their operative position in the opening it? against the film F as said film is being moved vertically downwardly by means of, in this instance, a vertically disposed flat pressure spring 23 which has its upper end secured by a screw or other suitable means to the rear face of a horizontally disposed bracket 25 secured to the upper end of a carrier frame 26 with the lower end of said spring engaging the rear plate 22 of the pressure frame between a pair of guide pins 24 secured to the p ate.

The carrier frame 26, in this instance, consists of two spaced side plates 21 and 28., The rear side plate as 21 is disposed in a vertical plane adjacent the rearwardly extending leg 5" of the frame 5 and is pivotally secured thereto by a suitable shouldered stud or screw 29 which extends through a hole provided in the inner side plate in the inner lower portion thereof and is. securely clamped to the adjacent portion of the frame 5 by a nut ll screw threaded on the stud and positioned in a suitable recess provided in the inner face of said frame. A bushing as l may, as shown in Figure 2, be mounted in the side plate 21 for the reception of the stud 29.

The other orouter side plate28 of the carrier frame 26 is constructed similarly to the lower portion of the plate 21 and is secured in parallel spaced relation thereto by a plurality of, in this instance, four suitably arranged spacing studs 33 which, as indicated in the lower part of Figure 2, have their inner ends screw threaded in the side plate 21 and their outer ends secured to the side plate 28 by screws 34.

The hereinbefore mentioned bracket 25 is secured by any suitable means to the side plate 21 near the upper end thereof and extends outwardly from said plate to substantially the vertical plane of the side. plate 28 and has its outer end constructed to form a vertically disposed upwardly extending flange 25' arranged in the plane of the front side plate'28. The flange 25 and plate 28 are spaced from the inner side plate 21 a distance slightly greater than the width of the film to be used and form a support for the guide plate l6 which is secured to the front vertical edges of said bracket and the front and rear side plates by screws 35 and dowel pins 36. The carrier frame 26 and the film guide plate it are locked against pivotal movement in their normal operative position with the guide plate in slightly spaced relation to the aperture plate l4 by a horizontally disposed lock rod 31 which, in this instance, is journaled in a tubular film guide supporting sleeve 38 carried by the upper end of the carrier frame 26 as shown in Figure 2. The outer end of the lock rod 31 extends a short distance beyond the bracket 25 and has a knurled knob 39 secured thereto to limit r the inward movement of said lock rod' and to also form a convenient means by which the rod may be rotated.

The inner end of the lock rod 31'extends beyond the inner side plate 21 into a recess 40 provided in the leg 5" of the frame 5. A bushing or collar 4| is mounted in the upper end of the leg 5" of the frame I in alignment with the interior of the tubular sleeve 38 and which is adapted to receive the inner end of the lock rod 31 therethrough. This collar 4| has the face thereof adjacent the recess 40 provided with a pair of diametrically opposed lugs 4| which have the outer face thereof tapered and adapted to be engaged by a pair of diametrically opposed laterally disposed lugs 42 formed on the inner reduced end of the lock rod 31 in a plane adjacent the tapered face of the lugs 4|. The inner face of the lugs 42 are reversibly tapered to the outer face of the lugs 4| so that by rotating the rod, the lugs 42 will engage the tapered edge of the lugs 4| and thereby draw the lock rod 81 inwardly and clamp the carrier frame 28 to the supporting frame 5.

It will be understood that the diameter-of the lugs 42 is substantially equal to or slightly less than that of the inner opening in the collar 4| so that when the lugs 42 are positioned by the rotation of the lock rod 31 in parallel relation with the lugs 4| out of engagement with said latter lugs, the lugs '42 may freely pass through the collar 4| and thereby permit the lock rod to be disengaged from the frame 5 by the outward exis] movement thereof.

The'sleeve I! is clamped in the carrier frame 28 by means of an outwardly extending annular flange 31' provided on theinner end of said sleeve and which is positioned in a. suitable recess provided in the outer face of the inner side plate 27 and a nut it screw threaded onthe outer end of the sleeve adjacent the flange 25' of the bracket 25 and which may, as shown, be positioned in a suitable recess provided in the outer face of said flange.

A suitable film guide 46, positioned at the upper end of the guide plate i5, is journaled in any suitable manner as upon ball bearings 4-7 which are carried by a tubular supporting member 48 mounted upon the sleeve 38 between the inner face of the flange 25 and the inner side plate 21.

The film F is intermittently moved downwardly between the aperture plate M and the guide plate M by an arm 50 positioned intermediate the rear and front side plates 21 and 28 at the rear of the lower curved portion of the illm guide plate l5. This arm 50 is provided" with a cross head 5i at its forward end and a pair of forwardly extending film moving pins 52 are secured to the cross head 5| and spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the rows of perforations usually provided near each longitudinal edge of the film. The pins 52 extend through respective longitudinal slots 53 provided in the guide plate l6 adjacent the lower end thereof, whereby the pins may be moved into and out of engagement with the periorat'ions in the film. The arm 59 extends rearwardly from the guide plate l5 and has its rear end 54 recessed as at 54' and slidably mounted on a guide member 55 which is rotatably mounted upon a bushing or collar 56 which, in turn, is mounted upon a horizontally disposed screw or red 5?. as to permit sumcient longitudinal movement of the arm 55 to bring the pins 52 into and out of operative engagement with the film F.

This longitudinal movement of the arm 50 is produced in this instance, by means of a cam member 55 which is secured to a horizontally disposed cam shaft 55 journaled in suitable ball bearings ti mounted in each of the side plates 2? and 25. The cam 59 operates in a rectangular opening 5b provided in the arm 50 intermediate the ends thereof so that the rotation of the cam causes the arm to reciprocate longitudinally by the engagement thereof with spaced parallel walls 52 of the opening 50 arranged in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of said arm.

The arm 50 is caused to oscillate about the axis of the guide member or block 55 by means of a cam 65 which, in this instance, is securely mounted upon the hub of the cam member 59 so as to rotate therewith. The cam 64 operates between two parallel spaced walls 65 provided on the arm 55 in parallel relation with the longitudinal axis of said arm at the upper and lower sides of the opening 50.

The cams 59 and 64 and the walls or surfaces 62 and 65 are so designed and proportioned that as the arm approaches its uppermost position as illustrated by broken lines in Figure 9 by the action of the cam 64, said arm will be moved forwardly by the action of ,the cam 59 in nearly a straight line extending through the pins 52 normal to the adjacent portion of the film F to bring said pins into cooperative re-engagement with the film apertures. As the pins 52 are thus engaged with the film, the cam 59 functions to maintain the pins in engagement with the film, while the cam 64 effects the downward swinging movement of the pins and arm 50 a sufficient distance to move the film one picture frame space past the exposure aperture I 3 so as to bring the The depth of the recess 56 is suchnext succeeding picture frame into registration with said aperture after which the arm dB is moved rearwardly by the action of the cam 59 sumciently to bring the pins 52 out oi operative engagement with the film apertures after which the arm and pins are returned to their uppermost position by the action of the cam 64 with the pins 52 maintained at the rear of the film by the cam 5t.

The film F is locked or securely held against longitudinal movement during the time the pins 52 are disengaged from the film by means of a pair of pins at which are positioned in respec tive guide members 58 secured in any suitable manner in the guide plate l5 in a plane above and in alignment with respective slots 53 to permit said pins to be moved into holding engagement with the him by the entrance thereof into corresponding film perforations aligned with said guide members. The pins 51 are carried by a cross head 55 formed on the forward end of an arm 10 and are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the rows of perforations on the film. The rear end ll of the arm it is provided with a recess ll which slidably receives a guide member or block M mounted upon. aicollar or bushing '53 which, in turn, is mounted upon the screw or rod 51. The length of the opening it is such as to permit sumcient longitudinal movement of the arm ill to bring the pins 61 into and out or cooperative relation with the film F.

The arm W is reciprocated for effecting the movement of the pins 51 by a cam. it secured to the cam shaft 50 at the rear of the cams 59 and 54 as shown in Figure 2. This cam M operatively engages a pair of parallel spaced walls 15 provided on. the arm ill in substantially transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of the arm. The cam it and the flange members or walls F5 are so designed that the pin 67 will be moved into and out of engagement with the film in proper synchronism with the action of pins 52 to positively hold the film against movement when it is not being moved by the pins 52. In other words, as the arm 50 is moved outwardly from its inner and uppermost position as illustrated by broken lines in Figure 9, to bring the pins 52 into cooperative engagement with the film, the cam it will function to move the arm 10 from the position illustrated by broken lines in Figure 8 to the position illustrated by full lines in said figure where the pins Eli are maintained out of holding engagement with the film during the downward movement of the arm 58. As the arm 50 approaches its lowermost position as illustrated by full lines in Figure 9, the cam 14 will again act to move the arm ill forwardly to bring the pins 51 carried thereby into holding engagement with the film and at the same time the arm 50 will be moved rearwardly by the action of the cam 59 to bring the pins 52 out of engagement with the film and then cooperates with cam 64 to return said arm and pins to theiruppermost position as illustrated by broken lines in Figure 9.

As illustrated more clearly in Figure 5, the screw or rod 51 extends inwardly through a spacing sleeve TI mounted in the outer side plate 28 and has the inner end thereof secured as by threads to a spacing sleeve 18 mounted in the inner side plate 21'. Washers 19 are provided-on the screw 51 at each end of the bushings 56, while a spacing sleeve or collar is mounted on said screw intermediate the washers 19 provided at an enlarged flange or head 88 which is positioned in suitable apertures 84 and 85 provided respectively in the leg of the frame 5 and the rear side plate 21 of the carrier frame 28; see Figure 2. The head 88 is provided with a radially disposed slot 88 which extends inwardly from the peripheral face thereof toward the axis of the shaft 88, for the reception of a drive block 81 which is slidably mounted'in said slot. The block is maintained in the slot 86 against outward movement by means of a wire ring 88 which extends about the periphery of the plate 83 in a groove 88' provided in the periphery of the plate 88 intermediate the sides thereof.

A pair of cover plates 88 and 88 are secured one to either side of the head 83 and extend across the slot 86 for maintaining the drive block 81 against lateral displacement from said slot. The drive block is urged outwardly by means of a spring 8| which has the outer'end thereof coiled about a retaining pin 82 secured to the drive block 81 and the inner end of the spring is positioned in an aperture 83 which extends inwardly from the inner end of the slot 88 as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

A drive pin 85 has one end removably journaled in the drive block 81 and extends outwardly therefrom through a radially disposed elongated slot 88 provided in the cover plate 88 and has the outer end thereof securely mounted in an annular flange or head member 86 secured to or made integral with the inner end of a drive shaft 81 whereby a rotary motion is transmitted from the drive shaft to the cam shaft 68, see Figure 2.

The drive shaft 81 is disposed in a horizontal plane in eccentric relation with the cam shaft 68 and is journaled in a pair of suitably spaced ball bearings 88 carried in the adjacent portion of the camera case C. The outer end of the drive shaft 81 extends a short distance beyond the case C and has secured theretoa balance wheel 88. As previously stated, the drive shaft 81 is'mounted in eccentric relation to the cam shaft 68 and as shown more clearly in Figure 6, the shafts are preferably :50 arranged that the axis of rotation A of the drive shaft is positioned at the rear of the axis of rotation A of the cam shaft 68 and in a plane slightly above the horizontal plane passing through the axis of the cam shaft. In other words, the drive shaft 81' is so positioned relative to the cam shaft 68 that the axis of said drive shaft will lie in the diametrical plane which passes through the axis of the cam shaft substantially normal to the lower curved portionof the film guide plate I6 substantially mid-way between the ends of the slots 58.

It will now be understood that due to the eccentric relation of the drive shaft 81 with the cam speedpthe cam shaft will be driven thereby at a variable speed of rotation depending, vof course, upon the degree of eccentricity of the drive and cam shafts. Inasmuch as the axes of these shafts lie in the plane passing substantially midway between the ends of the slots 58 normal to the curvature thereof, it follows that the maximum and minimum speeds of operation of the cam shaft will be produced as the drive pin passes through said diametrical plane at opposite sides of the shaft 81. It will thus be seen that as the drive pins 82 are moved downwardly to eflect the longitudinal movement of the film, ,these. pins will be operated at maximum speed and when the pins are being moved upwardly out of engagement with the film, they will be operated at a minimum speed, thus decreasing the period of time consumed in effecting the longitudinal movement of the film and increasing the period of time the ter shaft I82 for operatively connecting said shafts. This shaft I82 extends longitudinally through the case C at the rear of the fllrn chamher 0 of the case as is usual in this class of instruments and is journaled in suitable axially spaced bearings not shown mounted in the body I in any well known manner.

It will now be readily understood that while the drive shaft 81 and the shutter shaft I82 are.

operatedat a uniform constant rate of speed in the conventional manner as by a motor (not shown) operatively connected with the shutter shaft, the film. F will be maintained in the at rest position with a picture frame thereof in registration with the exposure apertures I2 and I3 during a longer'period of time than has been possible in the heretofore conventionally constructed moving picture machine due to the eccentric relation of the drive shaft 81 with the camshaft 68, as lfiereinbcfore described which enables the photographing of objects or scenery in a much more subdued light and without the necessity of varying the normal speed of operation of the machine, than has heretofore been possible to accomplish with the conventionally constructed cameras.

Furthermore, it will be observed that inasmuch as the film guide plates I4 and I6, shaft 68, film feeding and holding arms 58 and 18 and the mech'anisnioperatively connecting said arms with the shaft 68 are all mounted upon the frame 5, this intermittent feed mechanism may be quickly and easily removed from or placed into the case C by sliding the frame along plates 1 and by the proper manipulation of the latch I8, as will be readily understood. When the intermittent feed mechanism 3 is being removed from the case C, the shaft 88 will obviously move with the frame 5 and thereby draw the drive block 81 from the drive pin 85 irrespective of the position of said block and pin with respect to the path of travel of the drive pin. As soon, however, as the drive block 81 is moved from the drive pin 85, the spring 8| will urge the block to its outermost position in contact with the wire retaining or stop ring 88;

It therefore follows that in order to readily v again assemble the drive block 81 on the drive pin 85 inoperative relation therewith, the drive pin 85must be in the position illustrated in Figure 6 most remote from the shaft 88, to which position it may be moved by rotating shaft 91 as through the medium of the balance wheel 99; that is, shaft 91 is rotated until the drive pin 95 is at the opposite side of shaft 80 from slot 53 with the axis thereof arranged substantially in the plane B-B passing through the axes A-A' of shafts 91 and 60 respectively, whereupon the drive pin will be in alignment with the path of travel of the hole in the drive block 8'! when said drive block is in its outermost position in slot 86. The block 81 may be moved into alignment with the pin 95 by the operator manually rotating shaft 60 by engagement with the outer end thereof in the same manner in which said shaft is rotated to bring the pins 52 and El of the film operating and holding arms 59 and Ill into operative relation with the film perforations during the threading of the film between the plates l and I5. It therefore follows that when the aperture in the drive block 8! and the drive pin 95 are thus aligned with each other the film feeding unit may be quickly and easily mounted in the case C to bring the exposure aperture I2 in the frame 5 into alignment with the usual exposure aperture provided in the case C.

Although I have shown and particularly described the preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details set forth as various changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In an intermittent feeding mechanism wherein a film operating unit is mounted for movement toward and from an exposure aperture, the combination with said unit of a variable speed drive means comprising driving and driven elements mounted to rotate about axes extending in spaced substantially parallel relation with each other when the film operating unit is adjacent the exposure aperture, coacting means operatively connecting said driving and driven elements including a member fixedly connected with on: of the elements in eccentric relation therewith and a secondmember connected with the other element in eccentric relation therewith to move relative to the'axis of rotation thereof, said members of the connecting means being adapted to move into and out of engagement with each other during said movement of the operating unit, means for rotating the drive element at a substantially uniform rate of speed, and means associated with the movable member of the enacting means for yieldingly urging the same to a predetermined position whereby the members will readily engage each other during the movement of the film operating unit toward the exposure aperture.

2. In an intermittent feed mechanism of the class wherein a film operating unit is mounted for movementtoward and from an exposure aperture, a variable speed drive means for said unit comprising a cam shaft rotatably connected with the film operating unit to move therewith, a drive shaft mounted to rotate about an axis extending in spaced substantially parallel relation with the axis of rotation of said cam shaft when the operating unit is adjacent the exposure aperture, coacting means releasably connecting said shafts to each other so constructed and arranged that when the operating unit is adjacent the exposure aperture the cam shaft will be driven at a variable rate of speed by the'drive shaft when said latter shaft is being operated at a substantially uniform rate of speed, said coacting means including a drive pin secured to one of the shafts in eccentric relation therewith, and an apertured block adapted to removably receive the drive pin therein operatively connected with the other shaft for movement relative to the axis of rotation thereof, and means including a spring and a stop element connected with the block and the pertinent shaft to yieldingly maintain the block in a predeterminate positionwhen the pin is disengaged therefrom by movement of the unit away from the exposure aperture whereby said pin and block may readily be brought into cooperative relation with each other as the unit is again moved toward the exposure aperture.

JOHN M. WALL. 

